Yarn-winding apparatus



Nov. 28, 1967 w. w. GERHARDT ET AL 3,355,117

YARN WINDI NG APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

INVENTORS WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF Nov. 28, 1967 w. w. GERHARDT ET AL 3,355,117

YARN-WINDING APPARATUS '7 Sheets-SheebZ Filed Aug. 4, 1965 NOV. 28, 1967 w w, GERHARDT ET AL 3,355,117

YARNWINDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 1, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

INVENTORS WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF Nov. 28, 1967 w. w. GERHARDT ET AL 3,355,117

YARN-WINDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1965 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 l// l I] III I III] IIII NM INVENTORS FIG. 4

' WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF Nov. 28, 1967 W.W.GERHARDT ETAL 3,355,117

YARN-WINDING APPARATUS I iled Aug. 4, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTORS WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF Nov. 28, 1967 Filed Aug. 4, 1965 FIG. 10

YARN-WIN W. W. GERHARDT ET AL DING APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 INVENTORS WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF NOV. 28, 1967 w w GERHARDT ET AL 3,355,117

YARN-WINDING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 4, 1965 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IOO FIG. 11

INVENTORS WOLFGANG WERNER GERHARDT FRITZ JOHANNES KUNZE WOLFGANG ERHARD PFAFF United States Patent 3,355,117 YARN-WINDING APPARATUS Wolfgang Werner Gerhardt, Fritz Johannes Kunze, and

Wolfgang Erhard Pfai'f, Karl-Marx-Stadt, Germany, assignors to Institnt fur Textilmasehinen, Karl-Marx- Stadt, Germany Filed Aug. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 477,698 12 Claims. (Cl. 242-48) AhS'I'RACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A yarn-winding apparatus wherein yarn is successively wound onto successive spools. Driven members are carried by a rotary spool carrier and are each adapted to have a spool of yarn wound thereon. Rotation of the rotary spool carrier brings the driven members to a driving member which simultaneously drives a member having a spool on which the winding is being completed and also drives the next driven member to bring it up to its proper speed or rotation.

The present invention relates to yarn winders.

As is well known, in the textile arts there are types of machines, such as spinning machines, which require the yarn to be wound onto spools, and generally this is carried out by a rotary driving member which frictionally engages a yarn while winding the latter onto a rotary driven member which carries a spool and which becomes gradually displaced away from the rotary driving member as the diameter of the spool increases.

Usually a plurality of driven members are provided for successive operative engagement with a rotary driving member which delivers the yarn to the successive driven members while spools are wound onto the latter, and these spools, when completed, are removable so that additional spools can then be wound onto the driven members. These driven members are successively placed in operative engagement with the driving member toward which they are urged so that the necessary frictional engagement will be provided during the winding of the yarn onto the spools.

At the present time the conventional yarn winders have several disadvantages. For example, the winding of a spool starts before the rotary driven member onto which the spool is wound has reached its operating speed, so that in this way there is a lack of uniform speed of the yarn onto the spool throughout the winding of the yarn into a spool, and this lack of uniformity is highly undesirable. Moreover, with the known structures the rotary driven member on which a new spool is to be wound is only placed in driving engagement with the driving member after the fully wound previous spool has been displaced from the latter so that asmooth transfer of the yarn from one spool to the next is impossible to achieve. In addition, when starting the winding of a new spool it is necessary to displace, at least for a short time, the new rotary driven member away from the driving member, and all of these operations not only require an undesirably large amount of time, but in addition, they require the full attention of the operator so that a considerable labor Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a structure which will bring the rotary driven member, on which a new spool is to be wound, up to its operating speed simultaneously with the completion of the winding of a spool on the immediately preceding rotary driven member, so that in this way no time is lost and during completion of the winding of the yarn on one spool, the next rotary driven member is being prepared for the commencement of the winding of the next spool.

In addition, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure which will provide, in a highly reliable manner, a smooth transfer of the yarn from one spool to the next.

It is another object of the invention to provide a structure which does not require the full time attention of the operator and which is to a very large extent, auto- {natic so that the labor cost can be maintained relatively Furthermore, it is an object of the invention to provide a structure capable of accomplishing the above objects while at the same time being composed of simple rugged elements which are relatively inexpensive and which are very reliable in operation.

Primaritly the yarn winding apparatus of the invention includes a rotary spool carrier which is turnable about a predetermined axis and which carries a plurality of rotary driven members which extend parallel to this predetermined axis and are uniformly distributed about this predetermined axis. A rotary driving member extends parallel to the driven members, and the spool carrier has a plurality of operating positions angularly displaced one with respect to the other by the angular distance from one rotary driven member to the next driven member. In each of its operating positions the spool carrier places a rotary driven member in a cooperating relation with the driving member to have the latter wind a spool of yarn onto the particular driven member which is in the cooperative relation with respect to the driving member. In accordance with the invention, a turning means is operatively connected to the spool carrier for turning the latter from one operating position to the next operating position, and this turning means of the invention, during each of its operating cycles, turn the spool carrier in two stages from one operating position to the next. During the first stage of each operating cycle of the turning means the spool carrier is turned through a fraction of the total angular distance between its operating positions in such a way that the rotary driving member, while completing the winding of a spool on one rotary driven member, starts the rotation of the next rotary driven member, and after a sufiicient time has elapsed to finish the winding of one spool and to bring the next rotary driven member up to its predetermined rotary speed necessary for spool winding, the second stage of each operating cycle is carried out during which the completed spool is displaced away from the rotary driving member while the winding of the next spool is started.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of the application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the inventive thread winding apparatus, showing a bobbin holder in the form of a three-armed star, and a stepping gear mechanism behind it;

FIG. 2 is a partly sectional front view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the stepping gear alone;

FIG. 4 is a partly sectional view taken along line 44 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 shows a bobbin support with a storage ring, in a longitudinal section;

FIGS. 6 through 9 are schematic illustrations of the 3 consecutive bobbin change operations, the set-upcorresponding to that of FIG. 1.

FIG. is one possible wiring diagram illustrating an electrical circuit suitable for use with the structure of the invention; and

FIG. 11 illustrates details of an apparatus which can be used in the transfer of the yarn from one spool to the next.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of the drawings show a rotary spool carrier or bobbin holder 2 in the form of a three-armed star. On this holder are secured three axle journals 21, 22 and 23, for three rotary driven members on bobbin supports 4 distributed symmetrically over the circumference of holder 2. The details of support 4 will be explained later with reference to FIG. 5, which is on an enlarged scale. It is shown here that the support 4 is rotatably mounted on its axle journal, e.g. 21, by means of journal bearings 6.

On the supports 4 are attached tubes 81, 82 and 83, the supports being provided, in a known manner, with clamping means 10 which can be brought into operative and inoperative positions by way of a common actuating nut 12. The elements of the bobbin supports 4 are known and will not be further described herein.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, the bobbin holder 2 is mounted on shaft 14 for rotation about the predetermined axis of shaft 14 extending parallel to the axle journals 21, 22, 23 said shaft being journaled on a support means formed by swivel arm 16. The latter is under the influence of loading means 18 shown, as a matter of example, in the form of a weight (FIG. 1). As has been schematically illustrated in FIGS. 6-9, this means may also be in the form of springs 18' or other equivalent structures.

Of the supports 4 carried by the respective journals 21, 22 and 23, those on journals 21 and 22 face a rotary driving member or roller 30 which is arranged in a stationary manner on a frame member 32 or the like. Roller 30 is driven by a motor 34, in the direction indicated by an arrow in FIG. 1. The arm 16 is fitted loosely on a shaft 36 which is supported on another stationary frame member denoted 32'. The rear end of the same shaft is journaled in the stepping-gear mechanism casing, as can be seen in FIG. 3 where the turning means of the unit is shown. The loading means 18 urges the swivel arm 16, with the bobbin holder 2 and the tubes 81, 82 (011 journals 21, 22 respectively) against the driving roller 30. In the position shown in FIG. 1, only the empty tube 81 is driven while tube 82, with a fully wound bobbin thereon, has been swung away from roller 30, as will be explained later.

On shaft 36 (FIGS. 1 and 2) is arranged a chain wheel 38 which is operatively connected with a second chain wheel 40 rigid with shaft 14, by way of a chain 42. In the path of the latter, a tensioning chain wheel 44 is arranged pivotally mounted on swivel arm 16 and urged against chain 42 by conventional means not illustrated (an arrow points to the direction in which wheel 44 is biased).

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the turning means which is behind the structure of FIG. 1 and to the left-hand side of FIG. 2, where shaft 36 is broken away. As will be explained hereafter, the shaft 36 is driven in a stepwise manner by a mechanism generally designated 50. The latter has a shaft 51 driven by a motor 48, preferably a low-speed or geared motor, as will be explained further. To shaft 51 is secured a worm 52 engaged by a worm wheel 53 rigid with a shaft 54 substantially perpendicular to shaft 51.

To the shaft 54 is secured a driver 55 for a Maltese-cross or Geneva drive 58 which is free to rotate about a shaft 57. The cross 58 is connected, for synchronous rotation, with a spur gear 56 on shaft 57, the gear 56 engaging a similar gear 46 of shaft 36.

The latter is thus kinetically correlated with the stepping gear mechanism 50. The Maltese cross 58 has, for example, six arcuate recesses or stations and is stepped up by one station for each change of bobbins. The operation of each cycle performed in two stages will be described later. It will be noted that a reduction takes place between the gears 56 and 46, and again in the chain drive 38, 40, 42 and 44, so that one-sixth of a revolution of shaft 57 will result in one-third of a rotation of shaft 14, with bobbin holder 2 attached thereto (equal to 120 degrees of rotation) so that in this way spool carrier 2 turns from one operating position to the next.

It should be noted that the inventive winding apparatus could be made to include four rather than three axle: journals, in which case one-fourth revolution (that is, degrees) will be required for the bobbin holder for each operational cycle.

The shaft 54 also carries a cam disc 59 which controls an electric switch denoted 60. This switch is connected so as to open the circuit of driving motor 48 so that the stepping gear is temporarily halted. This is performed after the spool carrier 2 has completed first stages of each cycle, amounting to approximately 117 degrees of revolution. When the motor 48 resumes rotation, the system, and the holder 2 therewith, is imparted the remaining movement of 3 degrees (up to a full constituting the second stage of each cycle. These will 'be explained further with reference to FIGS. 6-9, and more particularly to FIGS. 8 and 9.

A yarn 90 is shown to be taken up by one of the empty tubes 81, 82 or 83 (FIGS. 1, 6 and 7, this is tube 81; in FIGS. 8 and 9, tube 83). A resulting finished bobbin roll is identified as 92. To make sure that the yarn 90 is properly engaged by the tubes during the change of bobbins, the free ends of the tubes are equipped with a conventional slit 86, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5. It is necessary that the yarn 90 always gets into the range of this slit during the change of bobbins. To this end, a yarn transfer ring 62 is arranged in each bobbin support 4 (FIG. 5). These rings have at least the same diameter as the finished bobbin (see the dot-dash lined outlines denoted 92); and are connected by easily detachable latch means 64, with the nut 12. Consequently, the rings 62 rotate together with the bobbin supports 4. Any other type of connection can, of course, be used for the rings 62; it is, however, important that the ring does not become detached from the support 4 during its rotation.

The winding device, not forming part of the present invention, includes two thread guides, namely those shown at 66 and 68 (these elements have been omitted from FIGS. 1 and 2, for the sake of clarity, together with thread storage ring 62). The traverse means 66 (FIG. 11) reciprocates back and forth in the direction of the bobbin axis and serves to cover in a uniform manner the respective tube 81, 82 or 83.

In contrast, yarn shifter 68 is an auxiliary thread guide which moves in two intersecting directions, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 5. With the auxiliary guide 68, the yarn 90 is removed from the traverse 66 after a bobbin roll 92 has been completed, and fed to the respective yarn transfer ring 62.

This is done before the bobbin holder 2 is stepped up. Hereafter, the auxiliary yarn shifter 68 moves back from the position shown in FIG. 5, in order to return the yarn 90 to the traverse 66. The yarn 90 unavoidably passes through the slit 86 of the respective tube (e.g. 81) so that the winding of the new tube is effected without any manual help. This way the opeartor has practically only to start the motor 48 in the stepping mechanism 50; however, even this could be controlled automatically.

The yarn winding machine described in connection with FIGS. 1 through 5 operates as follows, reference being had to FIGS. 6 through 9 which are schematic illustrations of the machine structure and the bobbin changing operations.

-When the winding machine is started, there are three empty tubes 81, 82 and 83 on the driven members 4, on the respective axle journals 21, 22 and 23. It should be noted that in FIGS. 6-9 the important machine elements have been shown exclusively; supports 4, journals 21, 22, 23, etc., have been omitted for the sake of clarity. As it can be seen from FIG. 6, initially only the tube 81 bears on the driving member 30, under the influence of the loading means 18 (this time shown as a compression spring).

The yarn 90 to be wound up is fed to the tube 81 from the top and wound up there since this tube is driven by roller 30, as explained before. The bobbin holder 2 is held secured against turning in the position shown in FIG. 1 by the stepping gear 50 (the Maltese cross element 55 acting as an immobilizer), until the bobbin roll 92 is almost completed on tube 81 (see FIG. 7). As a result of the structure of the bobbin roll 92, the swivel arm 16 is deflected against the afore-mentioned loading means 18.

After a given degree of completion of roll 92 in the upper right-hand corner of holder 2, the motor 48 on shaft 51 is started. Owing to the rotation of shaft 51, the stepping mechanism 50 becomes operational. With the first stage providing an incomplete one-sixth revolution of the Maltese cross 58, the bobbin holder 2 is rotated by about 117 degrees. The empty roller or tube 83, therefore, now bears on roller 30 (FIG. 8), and the winding of bobbin roll 92 on tube 81 continues.

The empty tube 83 now begins to turn while the almost fu-ll bobbin roll is similarly in full rotation, and they have the same take-off speed. The yarn 90, which is still connected with and forming the last part of bobbin roll 92, is applied to the empty tube 83 around which passes the yarn (over roller 30 to roll 92 on tube 81), as can be visualized from FIG. 8.

Subsequently, the motor interruption by switch 60, upon actuation by cam disc 59, is brought to an end so that shaft 51 is rotated again; the stepping gear, including the Maltese cross 56, the shaft 36, and the bobbin holder 2 eventually driven thereby are now rotated through the second stage formed by the remaining 3 degrees, to complete the cycle, as can be seen from FIG. 9. This completes the one-third revolution of holder 2, whereby the finished roll 92 moves away from the driving roller 30 whereupon it can be removed by hand, together with its tube 81 from its bobbin support 4. The winding of the tube 83 requires, of course, that thethread 90 be first severed between the tube 83 and the finished bobbin roll 92 (on tube 81), which is done in a conventional and well known manner.

When the tube 83 is fully wound, the whole cycle of operations is repeated and the yarn 90 is then wound on the empty tube 82. Owing to the clockwise rotation of holder 2, as shown by the arrows in FIG. 7, the sequence of thread winding in the subsequent operational cycles will be 81-8382, and then again 81. It should benoted that in FIGS. 6-9, only those elements (roller 30and one or twoof the tubes 81, 82 and 83) appear with rotational arrows which are driven in the particular phase of the operation. The third tube, in the upper lefthand corner of holder 2, is never driven at that location;

Referring nowto FIG. 10; there is shown therein the motor 48 connected to a suitable source of three phase current through the illustrated'master switch which can be opened andclosed for the purpose of connecting the motor to or from the supply lines. The motor is a short circuit'type of motor. The circuit includes a manually operable push-button b1 capable of being manually actuated whenever the operator desires to terminate the operation of the machine. In order to initiate a cycle of operations there is available for the operator a pushbutton switch 12?. and this switch is actuated whenever the operator wishes to terminate the winding of one spool and initiate the winding of the next spool in the manner described above, "according to which eachoperating cycle has the two stages. The illustrated circuit includes the relay assembly including the relay coil c1 and the normally open switch 01 shown in the circuit as actuated thereby, as well as the relay assembly including the illustrated coil D1 and the pair of normally open switches d1 shown at the upper right hand corner of the circuit. In addition there are timing relays D2 and D3 which become energized after given intervals of time in a well-known manner, and these relays include the normally open switch 0'2 and the normally closed switch d3. Finally, there is the cam actuated switch 60 which has already been described.

When it is desired to change from one spool to the next the operator will, when the spool has almost been completed, manually close the switch b2, so as to energize the relay C1 and thus close the circuit of the motor 48 which now actuates the Maltese cross drive so as to actuate the turning means of the invention. At each operating cycle this turning means will turn through a fraction of the distance from one operating position to the next. In the illustrated example the fractional disclosed is approximately 117 out of a total of 120, as pointed out above. At the end of the 117 turn, the cam 59 will open the switch 60 so that the operation of the motor 48 is terminated. At the same time, however, the relay D1 is energized so as to energize the relays D2 and D3 which are timing relays. The timing relay D2 only operates for a few seconds, which is just enough time so that the next rotary driven member on which the next spool is to be wound is brought into operative engagement with the rotary driving member so as to be brought up to speed thereby while the spool which is being wound has its winding completed and while the yarn is being transferred from one spool to the next. After the relatively short period of a few seconds for which the timing relay D2 is set, this timing relay d2 responds so as to close its switch d2 and again energize themotor 48, as is apparent from FIG. 10. Now the spool carrier 2 will be turned by the turning means of the invention through the remaining 3 of the angular distance from one operating cycle to the next operating cycle, thus performing the second stage of the operating cycle, and in this way the completed spool is displaced away from the rotary driving member 30. The Maltese-cross actuating member 55 now moves out of the particular slot of the cross in which it was located so as to complete the 120 turning of the spool carrier 2, and at this time the timing relay D3 responds so as to open its normally closed switch 033 and thus open the circuit to terminate the operation. The timing relay D3 is of course set for a longer period of time than the timing relay D2 and guarantees that the motor 48 will be turned off before the driving member 55- of the Maltese cross mechanism can again initiate the operation of the Maltese-cross.

' While in the above example manual initiation of each operating cycle is carried out by manual closing of the switch b2 shown in FIG. 10, it is of course clear that automatic operation could be provided. For example, a feeler could rest on each spool as it is built up and in response to the building up of each spool could close a switch when a predetermined spool diameter is reached. Such a feeler is well known in the art and is in the form of a simple arm resting on the spool and pivotally supported to turn through a given angle as the spool builds so that when the feeler arm reaches a given angular position it can close a switch such as the switch b2, and in this case all that the operator need do is reset the feeler arm once the winding of a new spool has started, so that in this way the structure will operate automatically to initiate the winding of the next spool.

The structure for traversing the yarn back and forth along the spool and for bringing about the transfer of the yarn from one spool to the next, is shown in detail in FIG. 11. As may be seen from FIG. 11, the yarn traverse 66 moves back and forth parallel to the spool axis. It is guided by a stationary rod 93 extending through a slide block which carries the traverse 66 and which has a tongue extending into the groove of a stationary guide 94 which thus prevents turning of the traverse 66. The rear end of the traverse 66 is received in the groove of a rotary camming roll 95 driven from a motor 96, so that in this way the traverse 66 is driven back and forth in a well-known manner.

The yarn shifter 68, on the other hand, moves in a pair of mutually perpendicular directions. The movement in the direction parallel to the spool axis is brought about by a block which carries the yarn shifter and which is :supported for sliding movement on the rod 97 which is parallel to the rod 93, and in this case also the block :has a tongue extending into the groove of a guide rail '98 which extends parallel to the guide rail 94. In this \way the shifter 68 is prevented from turning. The reciprocation of the yarn shifter 68 parallel to the spool axis :is brought about by a helical cam 99 which extends into :a shifting fork member carried by the yarn shifter 68 and :this helical cam 99 is driven from a motor 100 carried by .a housing 101 and operatively connected to a shaft 102 which carries the cam 99 so as to drive the latter. The :guide rod 97 and the guide rail 98 are fixed to the housing .101.

The entire housing 101, and of course all of the structture carried thereby, is guided for movement perpendiculwarly to the spool axis by guide rails 103 of which only one is illustrated in FIG. 11. A spring 104 acts on the housing 101 so as to urge the latter to a forward end ;position in which the housing 101 is located by an uniillustrated stop member, while the solenoid 105 can be renergized, this solenoid being operatively connected to the housing 101, to shift the latter in opposition to the :spring 104 to a rear end position in which it is located, :also by an unillustrated stop member. Of course, the guide rod 97 and the guide rail 98 participate in this :movement of the housing 101 transversely with respect ;to the spool axis.

During the winding of yarn onto a spool the traverse 66 distributes the yarn back and forth along the spool. "When the spool is almost completed then the spool carrier 2 will be turned in the illustrated example through the first stage made up of 117 of the total 120 required :to displace the spool carrier from one operating position :to the next operating position, and in this way the next :rotary driven member on which a spool is to be wound is placed in operative engagement with the rotary driving member 30. At this time the yarn shifting means 68 to- :gether with the housing 101 is shifted forwardly, and for :this purpose the solenoid 105 is deenergized so that the :spring 104 can become effective to shift the yarn shifting .means 68 forwardly. As a result of the inclined edges 106 of the shifter 68 the yarn is reliably directed into the guide or shifter 68 and the yarn will be reliably shifted onto the yarn transfer ring 62 after which the rotary helical cam 99 will displace the yarn shifter 68 in the direction of the spool axis bringing the yarn into the :range of the traverse 66 which now very reliably en- ;gages the yarn in the same way as the shifter 68 as that the traverse 66 can now traverse the yarn along the new spool. Then, after the yarn has been placed in operative engagement with the traverse 66 the solenoid 105 is energized so as to turn the housing 101 to its rear end position.

What is claimed is:

1. Yarn-winding apparatus comprising a rotary spool carrier turnable about a predetermined axis and carrying a plurality of rotary driven members uniformly distributed about and respectively having axes parallel to said predetermined axis, each rotary driven member being adapted to have spool of yarn wound thereon, a rotary driving member having an axis parallel to that of said spool carrier and said driven members, said rotary spool carrier having a plurality of operating positions equal to the number of driven members and angularly displaced with respect to each other by the angular distance from one driven member to the next driven member about said predetermined axis, said rotary driven members respectively cooperating in said operating positions of said spool carrier with said driving member to have spools of yarn wound thereon by said driving member which frictionally rotates said driven members while winding yarn thereon, and turning means operatively connected to said spool carrier for turning the latter periodically about said predetermined axis from one operating position thereof to the next operating position thereof, said turning means at each of its operating cycles turning said spool carrier in two stages from one operating position to the next operating position, and said turning means during the first stage of each cycle turning said spool carrier through a part of said angular distance which maintains said driving member in engagement with a spool wound on one driven member and simultaneously in engagement with the next driven member on which a spool is to be wound so that said next driven member will be brought up to its proper speed of rotation before the actual winding of yarn thereon commences and while the winding of yarn on the next preceding driven member is completed, and said turning means turning said spool carrier through the remainder of said angular distance during the second stage of each operating cycle when the winding of the yarn on said next preceding driven member has been completed.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said turning means initiates a cycle of operation to carry out said first stage of each cycle when the winding of yarn on a driven member is almost completed, so that the second stage represents a relatively small fraction of said angular distance.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein there are at least three driven members uniformly distributed about said predetermined axis.

4. A yarn-winding apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein at any given instant of operation said rotary driving member forms with the particular driven member on which it is winding yarn a pair of cooperating members, and yieldable urging means operatively connected to one of said pair of cooperating members for urging it toward the other of said pair of cooperating members.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wheerin a support means supports said spool carrier for rotary movement about said predetermined axis and for swinging movement toward and away from said driving member, said driving member extending at least partly into the space between a pair of driven members when said spool carrier is in one of its operating positions, and means operatively connected to said support means for yieldably urging the latter to move in a direction which swings said spool carrier toward said driving member.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein each of said driven members carries a means for automatically delivering a yarn from a completed spool on one driven member to the spool which is started on the next driven member, so that the winding of the yarn continues without interruption from the spool on one driven member to the spool on the next driven member.

7. Apparatus as recited in claim 6 and wherein said means for delivery of the yarn from one spool to the next includes a yarn-transfer ring coaxially connected to each driven member and having an exterior diameter at least as great as that of a completed spool.

8. Apparatus as recited in claim 7 and wherein said ring is removably connected to each driven member.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said turning means includes a Maltese-cross drive and a cam for temporarily terminating the operation of said turning means at each cycle when the first stage has been completed.

10. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein a yarntraverse means distributes the yarn along each driven member during the winding of a spool thereon, a yarn transfer ring coaxially connected to each rotary driven member for transferring the yarn from a finished spool to the next driven member on which the next spool will be wound, and means for displacing a yarn out of engagement with said traverse means into engagement with said transfer ring to be transferred thereby to the next driven member upon completion of the winding of a spool on the preceding rotary driven member.

11. Apparatus as recited in claim 10 and wherein said means which displaces the yarn from said traverse means to said ring displaces the yarn back to said traverse means when the winding of yarn on the next driven member has been initiated.

12. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and wherein said turning means includes a Maltese-cross drive which is operatively connected to said carrier for turning the latter through said angular distance at each operating cycle of said Maltese-cross drive, an electric motor operatively connected to said Maltese-cross drive for operating the latter, a switch located in the circuit of said motor, a cam driven by said Maltese-cross drive and engaging and opening said switch at the end of the first stage of each operating cycle so as to stop the turning of said spool carrier by terminating the operation of said motor, and means for re-establishing the circuit of said motor for completing the cycle of said spool carrier to place the latter in the next operating position by completing the operation of said Maltese-cross drive.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,809,660 6/1931 Wild et a1. 2.42-18 2,177,311 10/ 1939 Weimer 24218 N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner.

FRANK I. COHEN, Primary Examiner. 

1. YARN-WINDING APPARATUS COMPRISING A ROTARY SPOOL CARRIER TURNABLE ABOUT A PREDETERMINED AXIS AND CARRYING A PLURALITY OF ROTARY DRIVEN MEMBERS UNIFORMLY DISTRIBUTED ABOUT AND RESPECTIVELY HAVING AXES PARALLEL TO SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS, EACH ROTARY DRIVEN MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE SPOOL OF YARN WOUND THEREON, A ROTARY DRIVING MEMBER HAVING AN AXIS PARALLEL TO THAT OF SAID SPOOL CARRIER AND SAID DRIVEN MEMBERS, SAID ROTARY SPOOL CARRIER HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPERATING POSITIONS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER OF DRIVEN MEMBERS AND ANGULARLY DISPLACED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER BY THE ANGULAR DISTANCE FROM ONE DRIVEN MEMBER TO THE NEXT DRIVEN MEMBER ABOUT SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS, SAID ROTARY DRIVEN MEMBERS RESPECTIVELY COOPERATING IN SAID OPERATING POSITIONS OF SAID SPOOL CARRIER WITH SAID DRIVING MEMBER TO HAVE SPOOLS OF YARN WOUND THEREON BY SAID DRIVING MEMBER WHICH FRICTIONALLY ROTATES SAID DRIVEN MEMBERS WHILE WINDING YARN THEREON, AND TURNING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SPOOL CARRIER FOR TURNING THE LATTER PERIODICALLY ABOUT SAID PREDETERMINED AXIS FROM ONE OPERATING POSITION THEREOF TO THE NEXT OPERATING POSITION THEREOF, SAID TURNING MEANS AT EACH OF ITS OPERATING CYCLES TURNING SAID SPOOL CARRIER IN TWO STAGES FROM ONE OPERATING POSITION TO THE NEXT OPERATING POSITION, AND SAID TURNING MEANS DURING THE 